3 Days in Luang Prabang: An unforgettable experience!
Many tourists consider Luang Prabang to be the most picturesque city in Southeast Asia due to its charm and abundance of attractions.
The town is situated in part on a peninsula between the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. Luang Prabang is unquestionably a highlight of Laos, particularly in terms of cities.
How to get to Luang Prabang
The town of Luang Prabang lies in northern Laos, and the quickest way to get there by air is via Bangkok, Hanoi, Siem Reap, Vientiane, etc. Either Bangkok Airways or Lao Airlines are options for your flight. Kiwi is a good place to find tickets, schedules, and pricing.
In our case we took a train from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang it took 90 min and we paid 340.000 KIP for 2 people that’s around 18 USD. If you want to save some money better to go and buy the tickets directly at the train station. But if you want to save time, you can book your tickets online with 12Go.
It’s also common to travel by boat across the Mekong. This is possible from Huay Xai on the Laotian side of the border or Chiang Khong in Thailand. There are slow boats that take two days to reach Luang Prabang or speedboats that race across the Mekong.
Where to stay in Luang Prabang
We stayed in a hotel called Maison Zen Aphay which is located near the old town, within walking distance of everything. Very good value for money
What to do in Luang Prabang
Enjoy a beer Lao at the Mekong river during sunset
After a stroll around the ancient town, I can recommend one of the Mekong River’s restaurants. There, you may unwind with an ice cold beer and a breathtaking view of the river. You can also find some shaded locations over there if you’ve had enough sun while roaming about.
Of course, you may also relax by the river with a cup of coffee, a fruit shake, or any other soft drink. It will be just as lovely.
Luang Prabang night market
The big night market is located every day in Luang Prabang’s old town along the Royal Palace (Ho Kham), which is now a museum. There are hundreds of vendors selling Laotian souvenirs and handcrafted handicrafts.
There are also a lot of stalls selling T-shirts and other clothing. However, unlike in most Southeast Asian markets, there are no electronic products, DVDs, or counterfeit clothing.
The main street of the old town is blocked to traffic during the night market, so you may meander around the narrow passageways between the stalls in peace. The night market is open daily from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
A trip to the Tat Kuang Si Waterfall
A well-liked destination for day vacations is located not far from Luang Prabang. About 30 kilometers outside the city is where you may find the Tat Kuang Si Waterfall. You should visit there, I can assure you of that. The waterfall is best visited in the early morning when there aren’t as many people around.
Refreshing natural pools and lots of waterfall cascades with magnificent water. It is probably the most beautiful waterfall I’ve seen during my travels in Southeast Asia until now.
Don’t forget to also check out the Bear Sanctuary at the entrance.
Party at the Bowling Alley: An Unusual Night Out
We didn’t know about this before going to Luang Prabang, but apparently, bowling is a thing for tourists to do in the evenings. We went here around 8 pm and it was dead, but around 10-11 pm, this place got packed. It’s a run-down place that doesn’t have all the weights and no shoes, but they serve alcohol so that makes things more fun. We paid about 20k KIP per person per game. They also have archery outside, which was fun but definitely recommend doing this before you have too many drinks. Archery cost 10k KIP for 5 arrows.
Watch a local football game
If you want to attend a football game in Laos, it can be challenging to make advance plans. The information is all available, but it won’t be the simplest to locate till about a week before any contests take place.
We were slightly hopeful when we approached the stadium after a two-mile stroll from town. There was a woman selling shirts and flags outside the main door. It’s difficult to see her doing it on a non-match day.
Our covered seats were in the west stand, giving us shade throughout the match. I spotted one person in the uncovered end to our left, but nobody in the covered, but less shaded, stand opposite or the uncovered end to our right.
At kick-off there probably weren’t more than thirty people in the stadium, including our somewhat bemused taxi driver who had agreed to wait for us and who found it hard to understand why a local game would have any spectators at all. The rest of the crowd at that stage were predominantly wives and girlfriends of the players and they were quick to fold the team sheets that they were given into makeshift fans. The game ended up 2-0 for the visitors.
Try rice farming – Be a Rice Farmer for a day
This was our favourite activity. A unique and immersive cultural experience. It allowed us to connect with the local way of life, learn about the traditional farming practices, and appreciate the hard work that goes into rice cultivation. This hands-on activity gave us a deeper understanding of the region’s heritage making it a rewarding and enjoyable cultural adventure.
The activity cost 30 USD and included pick-up and drop off at your hotel as well as tasting. You can also book lunch for an additional 10 USD. The activity took about 4 hours and we got hands-on experience of 13 steps of rice making.
Get ready to get your feet and hands dirty! The most memorable moment was to plow the fields, where you walk behind a buffalo to prepare the soil to get planted. The best part is that whatever you plant, in a few weeks, another group will harvest. This is an experience not o be missed!
You can book directly with The Living Land by messaging them on the phone number available on their website: https://livinglandlao.org/
Conclusion
Luang Prabang is by far the most popular destination for travellers to visit in Laos. With its charm, abundance of activities and accessibility, it is a must-visit when you are in Laos.
Testing rice farming for the first time and being a rice farmer for a day at Living Land was our favourite activity, which truly allowed us to connect with the local way of life in Laos and appreciate the hard work that goes into rice cultivation. This was a unique experience.
